Fused, polarized, male to female blade-type adapter



June 30, 1953 c. R. CURTIS 2,644,057

FUSED, POLARIZED, MALE TO FEMALE BLADE-TYPE ADAPTER Filed Aug. 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 670762266 2 Quiz;

June 30, 1953 c. RQCURTIS 2,544,057

. FUSED, POLARIZED, MALE TO FEMALE BLADE-TYPE ADAPTER I Filed Aug. 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 30, 1953 FUSED, POLARIZED, MALE To FEMALE BLADE-TYPE ADAPTER Clarence R. Curtis, Lombard, 111., assignor to F. H. Smith Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 9, 1950, Serial No. 178,532

17 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a fused, polarized, male to twin female blade-type adapter. This adapter is one of the fused, polarized, blade-type electrical couplings invented by applicant in the course of the general development described in the copending application Serial No. 159,037 filed April 29, 1950. In this copending application, there is shown an adapter connecting a pair of blades to a single receptacle. The features of that adapter are a fuse cartridge chamber in the hot line having an opening thereinto through the blade surface of the housing with a fixed electrode and an elastic electrode. The wall leading to the elastic electrode is sloped to act as a guide and there is an ejector window adjacent the chamber. All of these features are in the adapter which is the subject of this application, but there are diiferences due to connecting two blades to two receptacles instead of to one receptacle.

The general object of this invention is to provide a blade-type twin receptacle adapter having all of the features of the single receptacle adapter shown in the copending application, in as compact a form as possible. One of the features of the invention is the mounting of the elastic electrode on a conductor carrying a pair of female contacts each associated with one slot of one receptacle. A single fuse is used for both outgoing lines and to this extent, a slightly heavier fuse should be used.

One specific object of this invention is to utilize a single connector between the fuse chamber and the two hot female contacts in each socket. In

order to do this, proper tensioning must be provided at three points, and this tensioning must not interfere with ready assembling in the hous ing. As will be seen in the description that follows, applicant herein discloses two embodiments, one wherein the hot line slots of the two receptacles are positioned adjacent each other, and the other wherein the two ground line slots are placed adjacent to each other. In either case, a single connector for the hot line between the fuse chamber and the receptacles is used,

Another object is to maintain as low as possible the number of electrical connectors necessary for the adapter in order to simplify the problem of assembly.

Another object is to provide a method of quickly assembling applicants adapters.

These and other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained in the two embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

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"blade-type adapter;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the adapter assembled with a cartridge fuse partially inserted;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the adapter taken on the line 6-5 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. '7 is a front view of the receptacle surface of the adapter showing the slots.

Figs. 8 through 12 relate to the second and pre ferred embodiment of applicants invention, wherein:

Fig. 8 is an exploded, perspective view of appliiscarits preferred twin receptacle polarized, bladetype adapter positioned vertically above its assembly jig to indicate the order of assembly;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of this adapter assembled with a cartridge fuse partiallj inserted- 1;. through its ejector window; Fig. 10 is a face view of the inside of the adapt ers base; 1

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line ll-ll ofFig. 9; and,

Fig. 12 is a. side elevation of the window chamber side of the adapter, partially cutaway, to showthe relationship of the electrodes or terminals in the cartridge fuse chamber and the manner of sliding a cartridge fuse into position.

Continuing to refer to the drawings, the adapter consists of a pair of complementary,- similarly sized housings which for descriptive purposes may be referred to ma base I'll and a cap l2.

The base has five through openings, namely, re ferring to Fig. '7, a pair of ground slots M and IS,'

a pair of hot line slots [8 and 20, and a hole 22' through which passes an assembly screw 24.

Returning to Fig. 1', the base It] carries the hot line contacts and comprises a cartridge fuse chamber 26, and an ejector window 28. A rigid hot line blade 30 is formed integrally with the fixed position electrode 32 and the clearances of the walls are such that it seats as shown in Fig. 1 so snugly that it will not. drop out of the base ill.

Continuing to refer to the base In in Fig. 1, there are various cut-out portions for the purpose of reducing the quantity of plastic required, but there is a horizontal passageway through the points 34 to receive the base portion 36 of a connector generally identified by the numeral 38. The flat electrodes 48 and 42 constitute the female contacts that seat behind the slots 28 and I8 respectively. Their exact position with respect to the slots 28 and I8 may be seen better by referring to Fig. 4. As there shown, the electrodes 48 and 42 each have guide portions 44 and 46 to assure proper direction of an incoming blade against the electrodes 48 and 42. The thickness of the connectors 38 and 48 is 7,; inch. They are heavy and elastic and the deflection of either 48 or 42 by a blade will hold the blade in the connector as tightly as required by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. specifications.

The numeral 48 identifies the elastic electrode for holding the fuse. When a fuse 58 is in position as shown in Fig. 4, the elastic electrode occupies the position there shown. When a fuse is not in position, it abutts the shoulder 52 as indicated by the dotted line 54. The electrode 48, therefore, is movable toward and away from, but diagonally, the far side of the opening III in the cap I2, hereinafter described. The electrodes 48 and 42 and the lower portion of the electrode 48 which is fastened to 36, so as to be spaced from electrode 42, project well above the surface of the base In and seat themselves in the chambers 56 and 58 of the cap I2, see Fig. 5.

The cap I2 on its outer face carries an opening 68 through which the ground blade 62 will project, and an opening 64 through which the hot line blade 38 will project. There is also a threaded hole 66 into which seats the bolt 24 for holding the cap and the base in assembled relationship. Als through the face 68 of the cap I2 is the chamber opening 18. The wall I2 of this chamber opening is slightly sloped with respect to the face 68 and terminates in the same plane as the fuse-engaging surface of the electrode 32. This relationship is suggested in Fig. 6. Interiorally of the cap I2 is a guide ramp I4, referring to Fig. 6, and as one pushes a fuse cartridge such as 58 through the opening 18, the ramp I4 will guide it against the elastic electrode 48. By pressing it further into the opening, it will move the elastic electrode 48 to the right and the electrode 16 will slide along the wall "I2 and then slip onto the surface of the fixed electrode 32.

On the other hand, when a knife or screw driver is inserted through the ejector window 28, which has a slight extension 18 in the cap, the cartridge will move toward the opening and when the electrode 16 is clear of the wall I2, the spring electrode 48 will eject it. Perhaps the best way to describe the ejector action is to state than when the inside edge of the electrode I6 reaches the point where the lead line I2 engages the wall, the cartridge fuse will snap the rest of the way and will be thrown free and clear for a substantial distance. The foregoing description completes the hot line assembly.

The ground line is somewhat simpler. This connector bears the numeral 88, see Fig. 1, and has a general U-shape with the ground blade 62 mounted near its central portion. Each arm con- 7 stitutes a female contact I82 and 84, which respectively seat in chambers 88 and 86, in the cap I2. Each electrode has a guide finger, namely, 98 and 92, which respectively seat in the chambers 81 and 89 into which open the ground line slots I6 and I4 respectively. Referring to Fig. 5, the connector 80 is set so as to snugly engage the confining walls of the passageway in which it seats.

Referring to Fig. 1 the cartridge consists of two electrodes I6 and 94 spaced by an insulating tube 96 containing the fuse wire, which tube is made of a ceramic or glass or other non-conductive plastic.

Examining now the preferred form of the invention, and referring to Figs. 8 through 12, the numeral I88 generally identifies a twin receptacle polarized adapter consisting of a base I82, 3, cap I84, and ejector window I86, a portion of which I88, is through a wall of the base I82 and the balance of which is through a wall of the cap Referring to Figs. 8 and 10, the base I82 has a pair of guide lugs H2 and H4 to facilitate assembly with the cap I84. The hot line slots are indicated by the numerals H6 and III; and the ground line slots by the numerals I 28 and I22. This arrangement should be compared to that shown in Fig. '7 of the first embodiment where the ground slots are on the outside and the hot slots are on the inside. There-is a hole I24 centrally of the slot face I26 of the base I82 through which may be passed a threaded bolt I28 which may be screwed into an opening I30 in the cap I84. Located in the base adjacent the wall containing the ejector window I86 is the fuse cham ber I32.

The cap I84 has a passageway or fuse opening the Walls of the opening I34, namely, I38, I48, aresloped with respect to the face I36 so as tofacilitate mounting of the cartridgeI42 in the fuse chamber I32. This is best shown in Fig. 12.

Both base and cap have interior chambers and passageways designed to accommodate the electrical connectors which carry the hot and the ground lines through the adapter insulated from each other, as the base and the cap of both embodiments are made of electrical insulating material.

The hot line through the adapter consists of two connectors, I44 and I62. The connector I44 has a broad U-shaped configuration, see Fig. 10, and comprises an outside band I46, Fig. 8, having an electrode I48 with sloped blade guide I58 on one end and electrode I52 with sloped blade guide I54 at the other end. These electrodes or contacts I48 and I52 are the hot line female contact members of the twin receptacle adapter and are positioned immediately behind the hot line slots H6 and H8. Mounted on a shoulder of the central portion of the connector I44 by a rivet I56 is an arm I58 having an electrode or contact I68 for holding one end of the cartridge fuse I42. over a comparatively long arm of conductive spring material, commencing at the rivet I56, see Fig. 10. This electrode is responsiblev for positively ejecting a burned out cartridge fuse from the chamber and it is important that its elasticity remain unimpaired by being held in a fixed position over many months of time. It is this long length of the arm I58, which is bent only slightly at any point of its length, that is responsible for the spring electrode I68 resisting the taking of a set while it is being held in a flexed position for a long period of time. connector I46 is very similar to 36 in Fig. 1.

The blade I62 of the hot line is very similar to the blade' 38 used in the first embodiment and is inelastic, with the electrode I63 seated at the other end of the fuse chamber, see Fig. 12. The

This spring electrode I68 flexes This blade I62 passes through Fig. '8, in the cap I 04.

As in the first embodiment of the invention, the ground line is formed of a single connector generally identified by the numeral I66. Co npare with connector 80 in Fig. 1. This connector I66 carries a blade I68 rivetedat II-II to a U- shaped connector IIZ having an electrode I I4 with blade guide I "I6 at one end thereof and electrode I18 with blade guide I 80 at the other end. The blade I68 passes through the opening I82 in the cap I04. The electrodes I14 and H8 respectively constitute the ground line female contacts and are located immediately behind ground slots I and I22.

The manner of assembling this adapter is graphically illustrated by Fig. 8. A jig I84 consists of a block I86 carrying four placement lugs I88, I90, I92 and. I94, which will exactly position the cap IIM over the opening I96 into which the blades I52 and I68 may be dropped. When the cap IE4 is in position, the blade IE2 is pushed downwardly, the fit in the hole I64 being quite snug, until the electrode I63 engages the inside face of the cap I 04. The blade I 63 is then pressed into the opening I82 until the connector I'I2 engages the inside face of the cap I04. The hot line connector I44 i then seated in the U-shaped recess I98 0f the cap I04 with the arm I58 and electrode I60 above the inside face of the cap I04. At this point, the electrodes I48, I52, I14 and I18 are all. lying in a generally horizontal planebelow the inside face of the cap I04 while the electrode I60 is lying above said face. Thereupon. the base, I112 is brought down over all of the elements and the bolt I is drawn tight. The relationship of the various electrodes in the base can best be seen in Fig. 10.

In comparing the two embodiments of the invention, it will be observed that in each case the ground line is formed by a single conductor, although. structurally it is formed of two pieces. That is to say, the blade is rigidly attached to a member carrying both female contacts. It will also be observed that the hot line contact in the fuse chamber is rigidly fastened to a member that carries both of the female hot line contacts.

The mounting of the incoming hot line electrode in the fuse chamber on the blade itself and the mounting of both ground female contacts on the incoming ground blade greatly simplifies assembling and the cost of the parts.

These features could be carried into adapters having more than two receptacles or two receptacles, but on different faces. some multiple receptacle adapters have a cube configuration with receptacles on several of the faces. This general thought of carrying out the mounting of the hot line fuse chamber contact on the hot line blade and both of the ground female con tacts on the female blade could be carried out on such multiple receptacle adapters.

Having thus described his invention, what applicant claims is:

1. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot bladev physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, said blades being electrically conductive, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a pair of electrically conductive female contacts in each receptacle, a non-fusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one female contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, and a pair of spaced electrodes in said chamber, one electrode connected to the hot the opening IE4, see

blade and the :second electrode connected to the other female contact of each receptacle.

2. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade. and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, said blades being electrically conductive, a plurality of blade-type'receptacles each having a ground slot for seating a ground blade and a hot line slot for seating a hot blade, an electrically conductive female contact behind each slot, a non-fusible conductor connecting the ground blade to the ground female contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, and a pair of spaced electrodes in said chamber, one electrode connected to the hot blade and the second electrode connected to the hot line femal contact of each receptacle.

3. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a

pair of female contacts in each receptacle, a

non-fusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one femalev contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, a passageway through the blade surface into the chamber, and a pair of spaced electrodes in said chamber, one electrode connected to the hot blade and the second electrode connected to the other female contact of each receptacle.

4. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a pair of female contacts in each receptacle, a non-= fusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one female contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, a passageway through said blade surface into the chamber, an elastic elec= trode movable toward and away from a portion of said passageway, a conductor connecting said electrode to the hot-line female contact of each receptacle, a second electrode in said chamber and spaced from the first electrode, and a conductor connecting the latter electrode to the hot line blade.

'5. The adapter of claim 2 wherein the slots of. two of the receptacles are in a single plane surface and in alignment and both hot line slots are between the ground slots.

6. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a pair of female contacts in each receptacle, a nonfusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one female contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, a passageway through said blade surface into the chamber, an elastic electrode movable toward and away from a portion of said passageway, a conductor connecting said electrode to the hot-line female contact of each receptacle, a guide wall extending from the passageway to a point adjacent the elastic electrode, a second electrode in said chamber and spaced from the first electrode, and a conductor connecting the latter electrode to the hot line blade.

7. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a pair of female contacts in each receptacle, a nonfusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one female contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, a passageway through the blade surface into the chamber, a pair of spaced electrodes in said chamber, one electrode connected to the hot blade and the second electrode connected to the other female contact of each receptacle, and an ejector window into the chamber at a point spaced from both electrodes.

8. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a pair of female contacts in each receptacle, a non fusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one female contact in each receptacle, a chamber for a removable fuse, a passageway through the blade surface into the chamber, a pair of spaced electrodes in said chamber, one electrode connected to the hot blade and the second electrode connected to the other female contact of each receptacle, and an ejector window through a housing wall normal to the blade face into the chamber at a point spaced from both electrodes.

9. An adapter comprising a housing, a ground blade and a hot blade physically different from the ground blade extending from one surface thereof, a plurality of blade-type receptacles, a pair of female contacts in each receptacle, a nonfusible conductor connecting the ground blade to one female contact in each receptacle, an elongated chamber positioned parallel to a line connecting the two blades and at one side thereof, a passageway through a long wall of the chamber and through the blade face into the chamber, and a pair of spaced electrodes in said chamber, one electrode connected to the hot blade and the second electrode connected to the other female contact of each receptacle.

10. An adapter comprising an insulated housing formed of a base having receptacle slots in one external wall and a cap having blade pas sageways in one external wall, an open-sided fuse chamber located in the base with spaced electrodes for conductively joining a hot line blade protruding through a blade passageway in the cap to a pair of hot line female contacts also in the base, a pair of female ground contacts conductively connected to a ground blade disposed in the cap, and a passageway through said cap alignable with the open side of the fuse chamber in the base.

11. An adapter formed of an insulated base and an insulated cap, said base comprising a lozenge-shaped body, an elongated open-sided chamber for a cartridge fuse lying parallel and adjacent one of the straight sides, a fixed contact position at one end of said chamber and integrally formed with a blade extending outwardly from the surface of said base, a pair of hot line slots through said base, a U-shaped member having electrical contact arms resiliently aligned with said slots and an extension arm attached thereto and flexibly positioned in the other end of the fuse chamber, and a pair of ground slots through said housing each spaced from a hot line slot to form a receptacle, and said cap comprising a U-shaped recess, a flexible U-shaped member in said recess with its ends carrying contacts seatable in the ground line slots of the base, a ground line blade attached to said U-shaped member and extending from one face of the cap, a passageway through said cap through which may be passed the hot line blade in the base, a through passageway in the cap alignable with the open side of the fuse chamber in the base, and means for holding the base and the cap in assembled relationship.

12. The adapter of claim 2 wherein the slots of two of the receptacles are in a single plane surface and in alignment and both ground line slots are between the hot slots.

13. A twin blade to twin slot receptacle adapter comprising a housing, two pairs of blade slots disposed therein, a blade carrying a pair of female contacts positioned behind one slot of each pair of blade slots, a fuse chamber in the housing, a second blade carrying an electrode mounted with the electrode in the fuse chamber, and a connecter carrying an electrode mounted in the fuse chamber and also carrying a pair of female contacts, each positioned behind the other slot of each receptacle.

14. A twin blade to twin slot receptacle adapter comprising a housing, two pairs of blade slots disposed therein, the slots of each pair being distinctive and associable respectively with complementary ground and hot blades, a ground blade carrying a pair of female contacts each formed integrally therewith and each positioned behind the ground slot of each pair, a fuse chamber in the housing, a hot blade physically different from the ground blade carrying an elec-- trode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber, and a second blade carrying an electrode mounted in the fuse chamber and also carrying a pair of female contacts, each positioned behind the hot slot of each receptacle.

15. A twin blade to twin slot receptacle adapter comprising a housing, two pairs of blade slots disposed therein, the slots in each pair being distinctive from each other and adapted to receive respectively correspondingly distinctive ground and hot blades, a ground blade carrying a pair of female contacts each positioned behind a ground slot, a fuse chamber in the housing, a hot blade carrying an electrode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber, said ground and hot blades projecting in parallel from a blade face of the housing, a second blade carrying an electrode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber and also carrying a pair of female contacts, each contact being positioned behind a hot slot of each receptacle, and a passageway into the fuse chamber through the blade face.

16. A twin blade to twin slot receptacle adapter comprising a housing, two pairs of blade slots disposed therein, the slots in each pair being distinctive from each other and adapted to receive respectively correspondingly distinctive ground and hot blades, a ground blade carrying a pair of female contacts each positioned behind a ground slot, a fuse chamber in the housing, a hot blade carrying an electrode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber, said ground and hot blades projecting in parallel from a blade face of the housing, a second blade carrying an electrode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber and also carrying a pair of female contacts, each contact being positioned behind a hot slot of each receptacle, said fuse chamber being elongated and lying parallel to the blade face, and a passageway through the blade face into the chamber.

17. A twin blade to twin slot receptacle adapter comprising a housing, two pairs of blade slots disposed therein, the slots in each pair being distinctive from each other and adapted to receive respectively correspondingly distinctive ground and hot blades, a ground blade carrying a pair of female contacts each positioned behind a ground slot, a fuse chamber in the housing, a hot blade carrying an electrode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber, said ground and hot blades projecting in parallel from a blade face of the housing, a second blade carrying an electrode which electrode is mounted in the fuse chamber and. also carrying a pair of female contacts, each contact being positioned behind a hot slot of each receptacle, a passageway into the fuse chamber through the blade face, and a second passageway through another Wall of the chamber at a point between the two 10 V electrodes whereby access from outside the housing may be had to the glass portion of a cartridge fuse.

CLARENCE R. CURTIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,864,353 Hubbell, Jr. June 21, 1932 1,974,700 Adams Sept. 25, 1934 2,508,770 Oshinsky May 23, 1950 

